The subject matter herein relates to electrical charging systems that have electrical power terminals for mating to mating connectors.
Electric vehicles, including fully electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, have charging systems for charging batteries that provide current used to propel the vehicles. The charging systems provide an electrically conductive pathway from a charging inlet on the vehicle to battery pack. The charging inlet removably couples to a mating connector of an external power source to establish an electrical connection for charging the battery pack. Because the vehicle is immobilized during charging operations, there is a desire to reduce the charging duration required to achieve a designated amount of charge in the battery pack to reduce the amount of time that the vehicle is immobile. The charging duration can be reduced by increasing the rate of power transfer. For example, some external power sources are configured to convey electrical power to a vehicle charging inlet at current levels in excess of 200 A.
At high power transfer levels, the components of the vehicle charging system may heat up due to electrical contact resistances. Increased temperatures of the charging system may have several unfavorable effects. For example, some of the components may become deformed and damaged due to high temperatures. The vehicle also may have a controller that monitors the temperature of the charging system. During a charging operation, if the controller detects that a temperature exceeds a threshold, the controller may be programmed to decrease the power transfer level, which unfavorably increases charging duration.
A need remains for a charging system that is able to dissipate heat to provide high power transfer levels over sustained periods of time for reducing charging durations.